Motor-starter.



H. w. HAMILTON'.

MOTOR STARTER. APPLICATION FILED `IIAY 4, I9I4 1,149,136. y PatentedAug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

g u T H. W. HAMILTON.

-MOTOR STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY4.1914.

l l 49. l 36 Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WM( @j g mined value, and supply fluid from the low HARRY W. HAMILTON,OF INDIANAPOLIS,

INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE HAM-MEIX MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OFINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

MOTOR-STARTER.

Original application led June 16, 1913, Serial No. 773,

Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. HAMILTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the countyof'Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new. and usefulMotor-Starter, of which the following is a specification. It is theobject of my invention to provide a simple and positive starter forinternal combustion engines, which shall act uniformly and withoutviolence on the engine, requires the expenditure of a minimum amount ofenergy, is easily and inexpensively maintained, and is fool-proof.

In attaining this object, I provide two reservoirs one containing iuidunder high pressure and the other fluid under relatively low pressurethough materially higher than atmospheric pressure, connect said tworeservoirs by an automatic pressure-reducing valve which closes when thepressure in the low pressure reservoir exceeds a predeterpressurereservoir through a suitable control valve to start the engine by directHuid pressure, by supplying it to a suitable auxiliary or startingmotor, which may be connected to the engine by an automatic clutchacting to transmit power only from .the auxiliary motor to the engine.In addition there may be provided means for automatically closing thedischarge from the low pressure reservoir when the -`pressure thereinfalls to a predetermined minimum, and also means whereby the operationof the engine, when it is started, serves to restore the pressure in thelow pressure reservoir, thus promoting economy in the use of fluid fromthe high pressure reservoir. 'Ihe high pressure reservoir, whendischarged, may be recharged in any suitable manner, or a chargedreservoir may be substituted for it. The most suitable fluid for thisuse I have found tov be carbon dioxid, as this fluid is near itscritical temperature at atmospheric temperatures, and, except in verylhot weather, is partially liquefied under the pressure I use and so forany given tem- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 11915.

874. Divided and this application inea may 4, 1914. 836,064.

perature a constant temperature is maintained in the hifgh .pressurereservoir as gas 1s. drawn there rom so long as any carbondioxid inv theliquid state remains therein. I usually charge the high pressurereservoir so that if its contents be vcompletely vaporized on account ofhot weather the pressure within the reservoir will be about fifteenhundred pounds, though at lower temperatures such pressure is lower thanthis because of the partial liquefaction.

This application is a division `of my copending application Serial No.773,874, led June 1913.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a semidiagrammatic view showing thesystem in its entirety and some of the parts in structural detail; andFig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a modification in which the gaspressure is normally maintained by a separate pump operated bytheengine.

rIwo reservolrs or storage tanks 10 and 11,

for fluid under low andl high pressure respectively, are connectedthrough anautomatic pressure-reducing valve 12, which conveniently isconnected tothe low pressure reservoir through a pipe 13 in which is ahand shut-off valve 14, and to the high pressure reservoir through apipe15 in which is a union or coupling 16 and a hand shutofl'l valve 17, theunion or coupling allowing the high pressure reservoir readily to becritical temperature of carbon dioxid, because of "1th e s constantpressure whichexists in a partially liquefied gas at any giventemperature. The automatic pressure-reducing valve 12 comprises adiaphragm 19 clamped between two casing sections 20 and 21, a smallerdiaphragm 22 clamped between the casing section 20'and a third casingsection 23, a, valve stem 24 which passes through the diaphragm 22 andis clamped thereto by clamping nuts 25 and is provided with a head 26which bears against that side of the diaphragm 19 which is toward thecasing section 20, and an adjustable spring 27 which holds said head 26against the diaphragm 19 and thus determines the pressure at which' thevalve 12 opens or closes. The pipes 13 and 15 lead into the casingsection 23 on the side of the diaphragm 22 remote from,the diaphragm 19,the needle point on the valve stem 24 engaging its valve seat on thecasing section 23 when the diaphragm 19 is moved against the action ofthe spring 27. This movement of the diaphragm 19 is obtained byconnecting the casing section 21 with the reservoir-'10, as by means ofa pipe 28 in which may be located a hand shut-0H valve 29. The pipe 28and valve 29 need not be separate from the pipe 13 and the valve 14,

though'it is often convenient to have them The purpose of the diaphragm22 is t0 prevent the pressure in the reservoir 10 from acting againstthe side of the diaphragm 19 Which is toward the casing section 20, saidlatter casing section being either closed or provided with vent openings30.

As gas is drawn from the reservoir 10,

'and the pressure in such reservoir falls to a predetermined value, say150 lbs., the spring 27 pushes the diaphragm 19 against the fluidpressure from the reservoir 10 and thereby opens the automaticpressure-reducing Valve, `whereupon gas passes from the high pressurereservoir llthrough the valve 17, the

pipe 15, the automatic pressure-reducing valve 12, the pipe 13, and thevalve 14'to the reservoir 10 to build up the pressure in the latter.When this pressure in the reservoir 10 rises to a predetermined value,say 160 lbs., it overcomes the action of the spring 27 on the diaphragm19 and closes the automatic pressure-reducing valve. Thus the pressurein the reservoir 10 is maintained substantially constant, and at a^sufficiently low value, while the initial pressure in the reservoir 11may be as high as desired.

The gas is drawn from the low pressure reservoir 10 for starting aninternal com bustion engine, as of an automobile, by di-A rect fluidpressure. To .this end, gas from the generator 10 is supplied through apipe 35, which is preferably a branch pipe from the pipe 23 so thatitvmay be controlledk in common. with the latter pipe by the hand'shut-ofi' valve 29, and an automatic cut-ofi' valve toa supply pipe 36leading to the engine through a hand control valve and, in

vthe arrangement shown in Fig. 1, a distrib! uter, of which morehereafter. This automatic cut-off valve comprises casing sections 20.and 21', diaphragms 19 and 22', lock nuts 25', a head 26', and a spring27 identical in structure with the parts 20, 21, 19, 22, 25, 26, and 27already described. The valve stem 24 of the automatic cut-off valvediffers from the valve stem 24 of the automatic pressure-reducing valvein that it has a flaring conical end 37 instead of a needle point, saidflaring end 37 coperating with a valve seat on a casing section 23substantially identical with the casing section 23 save that the valveseat is on the side of the casing remote from the diaphragms The pipes35 and 36 are connected to the casing sections 23 in substantially thesame manner as are the pipes 13 and 15 to the casing section 23 v of theautomatic pressure-reducing valve. The automatic cut-off valve operates,in a manner exactly the reverse of that of the automaticpressure-reducing valve, to close the connection between the gasreservoir 10 and the pipe 36 when the pressure in such reservoir fallsbelow a predetermined valve,

say 60 lbs., lower than that at which the automatic pressure reducingvalve opens. This prevents the operator from wasting the gas bycontinuing to draw it from the reservoir 10 when the pressure therein istoo low to be eiicient for' starting the engine, and allows time, only afew minutes or even less ordinarily being necessary, for the pressure YAsmaller than the passage 41 and are spaced farther apart than are thevalve seats, respectively coperative. The valve head v42 and its valveseat are conical, while the valve head 43 and its seat may be Hat, thevalve head 43 preferably being faced with rubber 45 or other yieldablematerial on its side toward the valve seat. The valve stem 44 of thecontrol valve is suitably connected, as by a bell crank lever 46, to bemoved by a rod 47 and push knob 48, the latter conveniently beingmounted on the dash board of an automobile if the apparatus is used inconnection With an automobile. The control valve is biased, both by aspring 49 and by the pressure from the pipe 36 on the valve head 42x, tohold said valve head against its seat and thus close vthe valve. Whenthe knob 48 is pushed, the valve is opened by the separation of thevalve head 42 from its seat, the valve head 43 at the same time being-moved against its valve seat to revent leakage around the valve stem.he opening of the control valve opens the pipe 36 to a pipe 50, leadingfrom the passage 41 between the two valve seats.

The pipe 50 leads from the discharge of the control valve to anauxiliary or starting motor 81. This motor 81 may be of any desiredtype, but is conveniently a rotary motor as shown; and itis convenientlymechanically connected by a suitable-clutch 82, such as a roller clutch,to the shaft of the engine with which the device is associated, afour-cylinder engine being illustrated. The clutch 82 is such that itwill transmit power from the motor 81 to the engine to start the latter,but will not transmit power from the engine to the 4motor 81, therebyallowing the latter to be at rest under normal conditions. f'

If desired, though it is not necessary, each i of the engine cylinders1, 2, 3, and 4 may be provided with a valve 55, which is normally closedbut may be opened by the rod 47 when the latter is moved to open thecontrol valve. The valves 55 may conveniently be of substantially thesame structure as the control valve, with the opening at the end of thevalve casing connected to the interior of the cylinder and the openingat the side of the valve casing connected to the atmosphere. By `havingthe valves 55 of this structure, any pressure from the associated enginecylinder acts at all times against Athe head of the valve, therebyaiding the spring in keeping the valve seated and preventing leakagewhen the starter is not being operated to start the motor. However, thevalves 55 may, if desired, take the form of ordinary pet cocks; or theymay even be dispensed with entirely, though by using them the startingoperation is facilitated. If desired, a shut-off valve 29', separatefrom the valve 29, may be placed in the pipe 36, conveniently beinglocated on the dash board if the device is used on an automobile.

In order to make the Jfeeding of iuid from the high pressure reservoir11 to the low pressure reservoir 10 a mere' auxiliary action, and thusto promote economy, T provide other means for normally maintaining thegas pressure in said tank above the predetermined value at which theHuid from the reservoir 11 is admitted to the tank 10. ln theyarrangement shown in Fig. 1, this consists of a pipe connecting thereservoir 10 and the engine cylinder 1, in which pipe 70, convenientlyat the cylinder end thereof, is a check valve 71 which admits thepassage of gas only from the reservoir, and even that only in case thepressure in the reservoir is below a predetermined value. Thispredetermined value is ,somewhat higher ythan that at which theautomatic pressure-reducing valve opens.

The check valve 71 may take various forms, but in the form illustratedcomprises a body portion 72 provided with external heat-radiating ribs 73 and with a central longitudinal open# ing 72 enlarged at the middleand smallest at the bottom and having a valve seat 74 between saidmiddle and bottom portions, and a valve stem 7 5 movable in said openingand guided by the upper portion thereof and coperating with said valveseat 74 to open and close the valve. The lower end of the opening in thevalve body is connected to the cylinder 1 and the middle portion of suchopening to the reservoir 10 through the pipe 70. The valve stem 75 isprovided with an opening 76connecting the middle enlarged portion of theopening 72 with that portion of said opening which is above the valvestem, so that the pressure from the reservoir 10 may act upon the top ofthe -valve stem to assist in holding the valve said reservoir equals orexceeds that value,v

the check valve 7l remains constantly closed.

Instead' of-using the burned gases from one of the engine cylinders forreplenishing the reservoir 10, such replenishing may be obtained by apump 78 driven from the engine shaft 59, as shown in Fig. 2; a clutch 78 may be included in the mechanical connection between the engine shaft59 and the pump 78. Conveniently this pump 78 supplies air to thereservoir 10, though any other desired gas may be supplied. Theconnection from the pump 78 to thereservoir 10 is through a pipe 7 0',in which'may be located a suitable cheek valve .79. When a predeterminedpressure is reached in the reservoir 10, the reaction of such pressureon the pump 'causes the supply of gas from the latter to the reservoirto cease, or the clutch 78 may be disengaged. v

To start the engine, the ignition circuit, if desired, first beingclosed as is usually done preparatory to cranking the engine, the knob48 is pushed to open the control valve and the valves 55. This admitspressure from the reservoir 10, provided such pres- -sure issuiliciently high to allow the automatic cut-off valve to-be open,through the pipe 50 to the auxiliary or starting motor 81. At the sametime, the pressure within the engine cylinders is relieved by theopening of the valves 55, if such valves are used.

The pressure thus` supplied from the reservoir 10 to the auxiliary orstarting motor 81 causes the latter to rotate, and this rotation istransmitted through the clutch 82 to the shaft of the engine. After afew revolutions of the engine shaft the knob 48 may be released topermit the spring 49 to close the valves 55 and the control valve. Theignition circuit must now be closed if it has not previously beenclosed. The engine is now in its normal condition and operates under itsown power, the momentum given it by the starting carrying it past thepoint where the first explosion of compressed carbureted air takesplace, just as in the case of cranking by hand. While the starter gas Ipreferably use is carbon-dioXid, which is not explosive, explosive orcombustible gases may be used, as the starting operation involves noexplosion.

When fluid has been drawn from the reservoir l0, and the pressuretherein thus reduced, the subsequent operation of the engine, after itis started, serves by its pumping action through the check valve 71 orthe pump 78 to build up' such pressure again to normal, and thus tomaintain it at its predetermined value without normally drawing thefluid from the high pressure reservoir 11. However, if for any reasonthis pump action does not take place, as because of diliculty instarting the engine, or even because the means for replenishing thepressure by the 'engine operation is omitted, and the pressure in thereservoir 10 is reduced sufficiently low to allow the automaticpressurereduci-ng valve 12 to open, the pressure in the reservoir l0 isbuilt up again by fluid from the reservoir 11. However, the pressure inthe reservoir l1, if carbon dioXid is the fluid used, does not change solong as its temperature remains constantand any of the carbon dioXidwithin the reservoir is in the liquid state. If too much gas is drawnfrom the reservoir l0 for any reason, and the pressure therein isreduced below an efficient value for starting the engine, the automaticcut-off' valve closes to give such pressure time to build up by fluidfrom the reservoir 11. As soon as the pressure is built up, which asheretofore shown requires but little time, the automatic cut-ofi' valveopens to allow the starting operation to continue. When the pressure inthe high pressure reservoir 11 is exhausted, the union or coupling 16may be disconnected,` the- .valves 14 and 17- first being closed, andthe reservoir 1l recharged or a charged reservoir substituted for it.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination, a high pressure reservoir, a low pressure reservoir,an automatic pressure-reducing valve through which said two reservoirsare connected, an internal combustion engine, a Huid-pressure motor, aclutch by which said fluid-pressure motor is connected to said engine,said clutch transmitting power from the motor to the engine but not fromthe engine to the motor, a control valve for supplying fluid pressurefrom the low pressure reservoir to said motor to operate it by directfluid pressure, and an automatic cut-off valve for closing the dischargefrom the low pressure reservoir when the pressure therein falls to apredetermined minimum.

2. In combination, a high pressure reservoir, a low pressure` reservoir,an automatic pressure-reducing valve through which said two reservoirsare connected, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressure motor,

a clutch by which said Huid-pressure motor is connected to said engine,said clutch transmitting power from the motor to the engine but not fromthe engine to the motor, a control valve vfor supplying fluid pressurefrom the low pressure reservoir to said motor to operate it by directfluid pressure, and means whereby the operation of the engine builds upthe pressure in the low pressure reservoir to a predetermined value.

3. In combination, a high pressure reservoir, a low pressure reservoir,an automatic pressure-reducing valve through which said two reservoirsare connected, anl internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressure motor, aclutch by which said fluid-pressure motor is'connected to said engine, acontrol valve for supplying fluid pressure from the low pressurereservoir'to said motor to operate it by direct fluid pressure, and anautomatic cut-olf valve for closing the discharge from the low pressurereservoir when the pressure therein falls to a predetermined minimum.

- 4. In combination, a high pressure reservoir, a low pressurereservoir, an automatic pressure-reducing valve through whichl said tworeservoirs are connected, an internal combustion engine, afluid-pressure motor, a clutch by which said fluid-pressure motor isconnected to said engine, a control valve for supplying fluid pressurefrom the low pressure reservoir to said motor to operate it by directfluid pressure, and means whereby the operation of the engine builds upthe pressure in the low pressure reservoir to a predetermined value.

5. In combination, a high pressure reservoir, a low pressure reservoir,an automatic pressure-reducing valve-through which said two reservoirsare connected, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressureymotorconnected to said engine, a control valve for supplying fluid pressurefrom the low pressure reservoir to said motor to operate it by directfluid pressure, an automatic cut-ofi1 valve for closing the dischargefrom the low pressure reservoir when the pressure therein falls to apredetermined minimum, and A means whereby the operation of the enginebuilds up the pressure in the low pressure reservoir to a predeterminedValue.

6. In combination, a high pressure reservoir, a low pressure reservoir,an automatic pressure-reducing Valve through which said two reservoirsare connected, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressure motorconnected to said engine, a control valve for supplying fluid pressurefrom the low pressure reservoir to said motor to operate it by directHuid pressure, and an automatic cutoff valve for closingl the dischargefrom the low pressure reservoir when the pressure therein falls to apredetermined minimum.

7 In combination, a high pressure reservoir, a low'pressure reservoir,an automatic pressure-reducing Valve through which said two reservoirsare connected, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressure motorconnected to said engine, a control valve for supplying fluid pressurefrom the low pressure reservoir to said motor to operate it by directfluid pressure, and means whereby the operation of the engine builds upthe pressure in the low pressure reservoir to a predetermined value.

8. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressurestarting motor for said engine, a reservoir for gasifunder pressure,means for supplying gas from said reservoir to said starting motor tostart said engine, means for replenishing the gas pressure in saidreservoir by the operation of the engine after it is started, and meansfor automatically replenishing the gas pressure in said reservoir whenit falls below a predetermined value which is lower than the value atwhich the pressure in said tank is normally kept by the engineoperation.

9. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressurestarting motor for said engine, a reservoir for gas under pressure,means for supplying gas from said reservoir to said starting motor tostart said engine, means for replenishing the gas pressure in saidreservoir by the operation of the engine after it is started, and meansfor automatically replenishing the gas pressure in said reservoir whenit falls-.below a predetermined value.

10. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a Enid-pressurestarting motor for said engine, a reservoir for gas under pressure,means for supplying gas from vsaid reservoir to said starting motor tostart said engine, means for automatically replenishing the gas pressurein said reservoir when it falls below a predetermined Value, and anautomatic' cut-offl valve for closing the connection whereby the gas issupplied from the reservoir in case the pressure in the reservoir fallsbelow a lower predetermined value.4

tomatically replenishing the gas pressure-in said reservoir when itfalls below a predetermined value which is lower than the value at whichthe pressure in said tank is normally kept by the engine operation, andan automatic cutoif Valve for closing the connection whereby the gas issupplied from the reservoir in case the pressure in the reservoir falls`below a still lower predeteri mined value.

12. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressurestarting motor for said engine, a reservoir for gas under pressure,means for supplying gas from said reservoir to said starting motor tostart said engine, means for replenishing the gas pressure of saidreservoir by the operation of the engine after it is started, means forautomatically replenishing the gas pressure in saidl reservoir vwhen itfalls below a predetermined value, and an automatic cut-off valve forclosing the connection whereby the gas is supplied from the reservoir incase the pressure in the reservoir falls below a lower predeterminedValue.

13. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a Huid-pressurestarting motor therefor, a reservoir for gas under pressure,

'/a control Valve for supplying gas from said reservoir to said startingmotor to start said engine, an automatic valve responsive to thepressure in said reservoirv for admitting material thereinto toreplenish the gas pressure therein, and an automatic cut-olf valve forclosing the connection whereby the gas is supplied from the reservoir incase the pressure in the reservoir falls below a predetermined value. s

14. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-pressurestarting motor for said engine, a reservoir for gas under pressure,means for supplying gas from said reservoir to said starting motor tostart said engine, means acting independently of the engine forautomatically replenishing the gas pressure in said reservoir when 1tfalls vbelow a predetermined value, and an autov Huid-pressure motorconnected to said enmy hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this irst gine, acontrol valve for supplying uidday of May, A. D. one thousand nine-hun-10 pressure from the 10W pressure reservoir to dred and thirteen.

said motor to operate 'it by direct fluid- 5 pressure, and means forrestoring the pres- HARRY W' HAMILTON sure in the 10W pressure reservoirindepend- Witnesses: ently of the high pressure reservoir. JosEPHINEGASPER,

In Witness whereof, I, have hereunto set G. B. SCHLEY.

